A 24-year-old man arrested for stabbing author Salman Rushdie is suspected of assault and attempted murder. This was reported by Chautauqua’s public prosecutor’s service.

“On these suspicions he was charged last night and remanded in pre-trial detention without bail,” the Public Prosecution Service said.

Rushdie, 75, was stabbed on Friday during a lecture in Chautauqua, New York. He is on a ventilator and may lose an eye, his literary agent said. He said the nerves in his hand were severely affected. Rushi’s liver was also punctured.

The suspect has been officially charged with “attempted second-degree murder.” This means, according to the Public Prosecution Service, that he intended to kill someone on purpose, but without premeditation. In the Netherlands, it amounts to attempted murder. If convicted, he could face up to 25 years in prison in New York state.

The suspect maintains his innocence. His lawyer told the judge on Saturday. The suspect was also present for questioning.

The suspect’s motive is still unclear

The motive of the perpetrator is still unclear. Police and the State Attorney’s Office are continuing to investigate. Based on its results, fees may increase.

The attack is suspected to have something to do with the death sentence (‘fatwa’) passed on Rushdie in the late 1980s after the Iranian Ayatollah Khomeini published his book. Verses of the devil. This work is considered blasphemous by many Muslims.

Suspect supports terrorism

The 24-year-old suspect is said to have previously spoken favorably of Shia extremism. NBC New York This is based on the evidence in the police investigation.

The suspect was recently living in Fairview, New Jersey, USA. On social media, according to the preliminary findings of the police investigation, he is said to support extremism, as well as support the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. No direct link between the suspect and Iran’s elite military force is known.

The suspect’s father is reportedly from Lebanon. According to the mayor of the southern Lebanese city of Yaron, the father is from there. According to him, the suspect’s parents immigrated to the United States at some point. The suspect was born in California and grew up in the United States.

Rushdie has been in critical condition since 1988

Rushdie has been facing threats since 1988 Verses of the devilThis is considered blasphemous by many Muslims.

It is not yet clear whether Rushdie was injured because of his novel. The publication of the controversial book led to protests in Iran in the 1980s. The country’s then ruler, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, issued a ‘fatwa’, a death sentence, against the author.